Squeeze My Hand
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: "If your grip is strong, I'll know you're okay." When Coco is injured and tries to make light of her wounds, Fox finds a way to get the truth of her condition from her. Over time, their hands start finding each other more and more both on and off the battlefield.


**Since Fox is blind (until canon specifically says otherwise), it would make sense for him to need other ways of telling that his friends are okay. This started as an idea when Coco was hurt during the most recent episode and was going to take place after it. After writing it though, it ended up including none of the episode. Oh well. It's still fluffy.**

The first time Coco was seriously hurt was during one of their early missions during their first year. They were in Forever Fall, collecting tree sap, when a pack of Ursai attacked. Team CFVY was still learning how to work together, and the fight was a bit longer and messier than it should have been.

Afterward, Fox went to Coco's side, asking his partner if she was okay.

A breathless laugh answered him. "Of course, Foxy-boy. Let's just get this sap and go home."

A slight change in the sound of her footfalls was Fox's only warning before he heard Coco stumble. He quickly moved close, allowing her to lean on him. He tried to place a hand on her middle to steady her, only to feel slick cloth and a violent flinch of pain as she shied away from his touch. His sightless eyes widened with realization.

"Velvet! Yatsuhashi! Coco's hurt!" he called over his shoulder. His teammates were at his side within seconds.

"S'riously, 'm fine…" Coco mumbled in a woozy voice. She protested as Yatsuhashi bent down to gently pick her up.

"What are her injuries? How bad is it? Guys?" Fox felt a surge of real panic. Despite being born blind and being well-adjusted, there were moments when he was very aware of his disability. In that moment, not knowing the extent of his partner's injuries was horrifying to him.

Was she going to die? Where would he find another partner who was so perfectly fierce and kind? Who else could possibly befriend him as quickly as this feisty diva had? He had only known her for a few weeks, but already couldn't stand the thought of losing her.

Thankfully, a warm hand on his shoulder jolted him from his impending panic attack. "She has three deep claw wounds on her abdomen," Velvet's soothing voice informed him. "We're heading back to Professor Goodwitch. Can you keep up?"

"Of course I can," Fox said immediately. Just because he was blind didn't mean he was slow. He felt Velvet jump a little and felt bad for how sharp his response was. He didn't have time to think about that now, though.

When they got to the meeting place, Professor Goodwitch immediately used her Semblance to lift Coco and carry her back toward the craft that had brought them to Forever Fall, where medical personnel were on standby. Fox followed close behind, occasionally bumping into the teacher's back. He heard Coco being placed on a stretcher and tried to get closer, when a firm hand on his chest stopped him.

"She needs stitches, Mister Alistair." Glynda Goodwitch's voice was gentle but firm. "You can visit her once she's been healed. It shouldn't take too long. The Grimm missed her organs."

After an hour of pacing back and forth (and shaking off Velvet and Yatsuhashi when they tried to get him to sit down), Fox heard the other students return. He said nothing on the ride home, though he did appreciate the small gesture of Velvet squeezing his shoulder.

When they were finally allowed into the med bay to see Coco, Fox followed the sound of her breathing and strode right to her bedside. Immediately, she started saying, "Take it easy, guys. I'm fine."

Fox's eyes narrowed. "That's what you said in the forest."

"Huh?"

"That's what you said when you were stumbling and bleeding out. I'm not sure how easily I'll believe 'I'm fine' from now on."

He heard Coco sitting up. "I didn't think it was that bad," she muttered. "I didn't want you worrying."

"I'd rather worry and know what's going on than not know and find out I was lied to later," Fox insisted.

"Fox does have a point," Velvet said from the other side of Coco's bed. "We need to be honest with each other, and that includes when we're hurt."

"Especially then," Yatsuhashi added. "In the field, it could mean life and death."

Coco let out a sigh. "You're right, guys. I…I just want to be strong, you know? I've never been a leader like this before, and…"

"Leaders are allowed to get hurt," Fox said, searching with his hand until he found her shoulder. "We just need to learn to fight better together. That way, we'll be able to keep from getting hurt."

"I'll keep that in mind, Foxy," Coco murmured, brushing her cheek against his hand and causing his face to flush. "But I really am okay now."

Fox bit his lip, still unsure of whether Coco was trying to downplay her pain. His hand tightened slightly on her shoulder and she placed her hand over his in response. An idea occurred to him. He took her hand in his, holding it gently. "Squeeze my hand."

"Wh-Why?" Was that stutter due to embarrassment or confusion?

"If your grip is strong, I'll know you're okay," he explained.

There was a pause, and Fox thought for a moment that Coco would tell him to stop being so paranoid. Then, the hand gripping his tightened, squeezing until he felt his fingers losing blood. He gritted his teeth as his knuckles started to crack before his hand was abruptly released. He gasped, grasping his hand with the one that hadn't just been squeezed to death.

"Believe me now?" Coco's voice held a smug undertone.

"Yeah." Fox felt a grin coming to his face. "I believe you."

After that day, that became Fox's go-to method of determining if his teammates were well.

The second time Coco got hurt in battle, he grabbed her hand and asked her to squeeze. After the initial, bone-crushing grip, she clasped his hand more gently and brushed his wrist against her cheek before letting go.

When Fox was the one to get hurt, Coco immediately went for his hand, which confused him. She could see his injuries, couldn't she? She didn't need the same kind of reassurance he did. Still, he complied when she asked and clutched her hand as tightly as he could. When she seemed satisfied, he slipped his fingers through hers, smiling when she didn't pull away.

Over time, this method of communication moved off of the battlefield.

One night, Fox was staying up late working on an assignment, trying desperately to keep his thoughts together long enough to finish. He typed frantically for a few minutes before closing his eyes and breathing a sigh.

The door opened and Coco's heels clicked in his direction. He heard her kneel next to him. "How're ya doin', Foxy?" Her voice, which had long ago become one of the most beautiful sounds to Fox's ears, was laced with concern.

"I'm okay," he muttered, closing his book and letting out another half-hearted sigh.

Coco didn't move away and, after a moment, reached out to grab his right hand. She held it tenderly between both of hers, rubbing softly at the wrist and palm. "Are you sure?"

His fingers wrapped timidly around hers and he squeezed weakly once before closing his eyes and resting his head on her shoulder. Her arms wrapped around him, hugging him close as he allowed his muscles to relax for the first time in hours.

During exam week, when Coco fainted in the hallway while trying to carry a stack of books to the room, Fox sat her up on her bed and brought her water as she took deep breaths. While Velvet and Yatsuhashi insisted that Coco get some much-needed sleep, Fox slipped his hand into hers, running his thumb across her wrist where he could feel her rapid pulse.

Coco snuggled into his side. He didn't leave until her pulse slowed to a regular level and her breathing grew deep. Just before he returned to his bed, he raised her hand to his mouth and lightly brushed his lips across her palm.

When they walked through overly-noisy hallways, Coco would slip her hand into his and discreetly guide him through the crowds. When Coco refused to wear the unfashionable mittens her mother had sent her when the weather got colder, Fox periodically rubbed her chilled fingers between outdoor training sessions. Often, their hands would find each other for no reason at all, as if they were just drawn to each other.

Fox knew Coco's hands as well as he knew his own. He enjoyed the softness that came from the lotion she used and how it masked, but didn't erase, the callouses on her fingers. He liked how they were smaller and could be completely enfolded by his, making him feel as if he was protecting her in some way. He loved the little shiver that went through her whenever his fingertips brushed against her sensitive palms.

When he looked back later on, he was surprised at how long it took to realize that his fascination with her hands had long ago evolved into a deep love for the rest of her.

It was near the end of their second semester when Coco plopped down on the bed near Fox, who paused in the act of studying to turn toward her. "Yeah?"

"Year's almost over," Coco said offhandedly. "Will ya miss me over the summer?"

Fox blinked. What kind of question was that? "Of course I will," he replied after a moment. "Is there any doubt?"

"You didn't answer right away."

"I wasn't expecting…" Fox trailed off when he realized that Coco was snickering. He rolled his eyes. "Okay, it's tease-the-partner night. Got it."

Coco was still laughing quietly as she scooted over and hugged him. Fox's brows furrowed and he instinctively sought out her hand. She immediately squeezed his hand, but not with much strength. He frowned. The laughter faded.

"What's going on, Coco?"

Coco sighed, curling up close to him. "I know it's stupid, but I'm not looking forward to summer break. The thought of not being with you, Velvs, and Yatsu is just so weird to me at this point."

Fox felt a surge of relief as he rubbed her hands gently. He had thought something more serious was going on. "I see what you mean. It's nothing I can't handle, but I do wish we could just skip to the first semester of next year."

"I'll miss this a lot." Coco gripped his hands a little tighter as she said it. "I'm not this…close to anyone at home. Anyone at all, really."

"Ah." Fox felt his cheeks heating up. "To tell the truth, I'm not either."

"I don't think I want to be. With anyone else, I mean," Coco said. Her voice was its usual blunt self, but carried an odd undertone of uncertainty. It made Fox's mouth go dry. His heart thumped loudly in his chest.

"Same." It was all he could muster as his brain started short-circuiting. She was practically on his lap at this point. When did that happen?

Her cheek was pressed against his arm, so he felt when her lips quirked up in a smile. "Good." She brought his hands to her lips and peppered soft kisses across the knuckles and fingers.

Fox gasped quietly at the tickling sensation of her lips on his skin. When this caused her to pause, however, he was quick to pull her into his lap and murmur a shy: "Keep doing what you're doing."

Her hands slid to his lower arms, which she held tenderly as her lips brushed across his knuckles, his fingertips, his palms, and the erratically-pulsing vein on his right wrist. He bit his lip to keep from making an embarrassing noise at how _good_ this felt.

Coco pulled back a little, but not very far. Fox could still feel her breath on his face. She was close, and she was waiting for something. It didn't take a genius to know what.

He moved his head forward, closing his eyes even though it really made no difference whether he did or not. Coco moved slightly so that his lips successfully found hers on the first try. He moved his mouth hesitantly against hers, smiling a little when she responded with a returning movement and a firm squeeze of his hands.

Their curious lips touched while their familiar hands remained tightly locked. Fox didn't feel the expected butterflies in his stomach. Instead, he felt warm and content, the uncomplicated happiness of someone simply going along with something incredibly pleasant and completely inevitable.

When they broke the kiss, Coco rested her head in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes. Her hands were holding on gently to his wrists, and her grip loosened as she grew drowsier.

Fox leaned down to kiss her forehead while clasping her hands firmly. "Go ahead and take a nap. I'll wake you up."

Coco shook her head. "Don't wanna sleep," she mumbled. "Just wanna enjoy this for awhile."

Fox chuckled and kissed her cheek before leaning back against the pillows. For the next few hours, the only sound besides their heartbeats, which Fox could easily hear even without being close to Coco's chest, would be Velvet's excited squeal after her return to the dorm.

 **I think I puked some rainbows while typing this one. You guys will hopefully be seeing more from me on a regular basis, as I'm making an effort to do more overall writing. I'd like to eventually do a poly Team CFVY fic and I have a poly Team JNPR fic in the works as well. See you guys soon. Peace out!**


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